Richmond

1860s – 1900

Lulu Island.

There is no definitive origin for the name of Richmond. A few hypotheses float about, mostly boiling down to three main ideas:

1. It’s named after Richmond, Ontario, where three of the original signers of its township incorporation papers were from.
2. It’s named after the phrase “Richmond View,” because the view across the Fraser River on Sea Island resembled the town of Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, as recalled by the daughter of one of the first settlers.
3. It’s named after Richmond, Yorkshire, England, the birthplace of an early settler.

No written records exist to confirm or deny any particular account, however.

Regardless of how the settlement got its name, it started small. By the early 1860s, a few early settlers had attempted to set up farms in the area. While Richmond has fertile soil and is predominantly flat, farming wasn’t initially easy for these settlers. With extensive wetlands and bogs, major building projects including dikes, draining water and more were required due to its location at the intersection of the Fraser and the Pacific, leading to one of Richmond’s nicknames: Child of the Fraser.

Gulf of Georgia Cannery circa 1900

The Gulf of Georgia Cannery was established in 1894.

But we do have the story of one name from this time. Richard Clement Moody – after whom many places in BC take their name – was Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia at the time. He had a crush on a showgirl named Lulu Sweet, who was in the area around 1861. As the story goes, Richard met Lulu aboard a steamer and became infatuated with her. She asked what the name of the island on which Richmond now sits was called. He responded that he’d name it after her: Lulu Island. And the name stuck. By 1862, it was officially recorded on maps of the area, and it remains the name of the island today.

Growth was initially slow for Richmond. By the 1870s, farming was a predominant industry in the area. In response to the need for infrastructure, local residents began to push for municipal incorporation and in 1879, the Township of Richmond was incorporated.

Also around this time, salmon canning began on the Fraser River. This led to the development of Steveston, named after early settler Manoah Steves, in southwest Richmond. In 1894, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery opened, and its building complex remains as a museum today. The canneries in the area attracted influxes of Japanese immigrants, and remains a centre of Japanese culture today. As a result of this industry, the area became known as “Salmonopolis.”

During this era, the first bridge connecting Richmond to the mainland was built in 1889, and with it came a faster pace of development.

1901 – 1939

The Vancouver & Lulu Island Railway.

In 1902, the Vancouver & Lulu Island Railway also constructed a bridge over the Fraser River, forging an even stronger regional connection, later taken over by the BC Electric Railway (BCER). This interurban railway meant more access to Richmond, and allowed for increased activity at Steveston’s salmon canneries, earning it the nickname the “Sockeye Limited” or “Sockeye Special.” Farmers also shipped cans of milk to Vancouver in the morning, and the trains returned in the evening with the same cans filled with spring water. Steveston’s first bank opened in 1905, and the building continues to stand today as a museum.

In 1909, Minoru Park opened. A horse racing track, it attracted large crowds enthusiastically watching the races. Lansdowne Park Racetrack opened 15 years later and added to the excitement. Both were so popular that special interurban trips ran to bring crowds to and from races. Minoru Park later became Brighouse Racetrack (named after a local farmer and councillor). None of these horse racing tracks exist any longer, but a foot-racing track now traces Minoru track’s route. Lansdowne Park is now home to the Lansdowne Centre shopping plaza.

Charles K. Hamilton soaring above Minoru Park

In 1910, Charles K. Hamilton became the first person in BC to fly.

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Richmond’s aviation legacy got its start in the early 1900s as well. On 25 March 1910, Charles K. Hamilton, an American daredevil, climbed into a Curtiss Reims Racer biplane at Minoru Park and took off above a crowd of 3,500 spectators, all cheering and clapping. Though it was not technically western Canada’s first flight (that was in Winnipeg in 1909), it was BC’s first flight and was significantly hyped and promoted.

But this time in Richmond’s history also brought some unfortunate events. In 1918, Steveston caught fire and burned, destroying three canneries, houses and three hotels, leaving 600 people homeless. Returning soldiers from the First World War also brought back influenza, further adding to the area's woes.

Things picked up again in the 1920s, though. In 1929, the initial Vancouver Airport opened just north of Lansdowne Park by the Alexandra interurban railway station. It was a temporary structure, but nonetheless it was BC’s second airfield. Two years later, that temporary airport was replaced with a permanent airport on Sea Island, where YVR Airport remains today.

1939 – 1999

World War II and the development of suburban Richmond.

When Canada entered World War II, Richmond’s canneries and strategic location near an airfield made it an ideal spot for the war effort. Thousands of workers poured in to work at Boeing Canada’s facilities on Sea Island, while the canneries produced canned herring to feed soldiers. To house soldiers and their families, Burkeville was established on Sea Island during the war, and it remains near YVR Airport today.

Unfortunately, this was also a dark chapter in Richmond’s history, when its Japanese residents were stripped of their belongings, homes and assets and interned by the government. This devastated the community they’d built in Steveston. Even after the war ended in 1945, Japanese Canadians were not allowed to return to the area until 1949, and their confiscated property was not given back. Many did not return, though some did resettle in the area, and Steveston is still home to Japanese Canadian culture today.

The war’s end also saw a shift in Richmond’s development patterns. With its large blocks of land broken up into grids divided by thoroughfares, the increasing adoption of the automobile and its location just south of Vancouver, Richmond was ideally positioned to become a post-war suburb. Richmond saw the construction of large tracts of detached homes in subdivisions, with names like Seafair Estates, Sunnymede and more. And in 1958, BCER's interurban ran for the last time.

The first McDonald’s outside of the United States

The first McDonald’s outside of the United States opened in Richmond in 1967.

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All of this development meant the need for more infrastructure. Oak Street Bridge was built in 1957, the Massey Tunnel was finished in 1959 and the Knight Street Bridge in 1974, while the Arthur Laing bridge opened in 1975, providing more connectivity for Richmond with Vancouver and YVR Airport. Around this time in 1967, Richmond became home to the first McDonald’s outside of the United States at Granville Avenue and No. 3 Road. Its heritage arches can still be seen at the replacement restaurant there today.

But development began to eat into Richmond’s farmland, too. That began to worry BC residents in general, as other areas were also losing their farmland. In response, the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) was established in 1973. As a result, specific areas in Richmond are for farming, and other uses on designated land are tightly regulated. If you buy a property in the ALR, you should be aware of these restrictions.

More immigrants began to arrive in Richmond in the 1980s and 1990s, many from Hong Kong, as well as other parts of Asia. This led to the establishment of Richmond’s Chinese Canadian community, and the construction of many places of worship along No. 5 Road. Consisting of Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist places of worship, it is known as the “Highway to Heaven.”

And in 1990, reflecting its increased population, Richmond was officially incorporated as a city.

2000 – Today

The Canada Line and beyond.

Richmond would see the return of rail transit after 51 years in 2009, with the completion of the Canada Line SkyTrain one year before the 2010 Winter Olympics. This route has branches that start at both YVR Airport and Richmond-Brighouse, heading to Downtown Vancouver. The Canada Line has spurred much condo development in Richmond, replacing some of its detached homes and leading to even more diversity among its residents.

The sea continues to be an influence on Richmond today. With rising tides due to climate change, the city has raised its dikes higher. Development patterns in Richmond now tend toward condos and townhouse developments, especially in light of recent provincial legislation changes allowing multi-unit homes on former single-family lots.

In the future, Richmond may likely see even more density. And since it has always been a place that newcomers have come to call home, it will likely continue to welcome people from many walks of life.